Aldermanic committee begins work on Yale labor relations

The special ad-hoc committee of the Board of Aldermen created to meet with President Richard Levin and Yale union leaders to discuss the contentious history of University labor relations decided on its first action Wednesday night.

Ward 14 Alderwoman Robin Kroogman, the chairwoman of the seven-member committee, suggested that an envoy composed of Board President Jorge Perez, Majority Leader Elizabeth McCormack, and a member of the ad-hoc committee to be named later — likely Kroogman — make first entreaties to Levin and the unions. The trio would ask a series of questions to the two parties in separate closed-door venues in roughly two weeks time, discuss possible improvements for the relationship and report back to the full committee within a month.

The four committee members in attendance — Aldermen Edward Mattison, McCormack, and Yusuf Shah — approved the proposal. The remaining members of the committee are Alfreda Edwards, Kevin Diaz, and Arlene DePino.

“I’m not holding out hope that the non-negotiators in this room can solve the problems, but I hope we can make some headway,” said Kroogman of the aldermanic effort.

Mattison said the trio will not approach Levin and the union leadership immediately because the aldermen do not want to disrupt recent progress.

“We have a forlorn hope that the immediate problem will get resolved quickly,” said Mattison, the author of the resolution that prompted the ad-hoc committee. “Then we can take on the larger issues.”